MLB

Magic numbers, seeding and playoff chatter abound, so it’s time to break down where these contenders fall on the bracket.

As we see, having two wild card spots has only helped the intrigue. A myriad of AL and NL teams are still in the race, giving us some tremendous games to close out an already fantastic year.

The St. Louis Cardinals are considered by many to be favorites in the National League heading into the playoffs.

With a record of 92-65, the Cardinals have the fourth-best record in all of baseball and are showing they are contenders once again.

There are just six days left in the 2013 regular season, and while four teams have clinched their divisions, there is still a lot left to be decided in the season's final weekend.

As October approaches, a few teams in the playoff hunt are vying for better playoff position: Three teams in the National League Central − Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Cincinnati − are separated by just two games, while one game separates three teams for two American League wild-card berths.

On August 31, the Texas Rangers won their 79th game of the 2013 season by defeating the Minnesota Twins in Arlington.

Like the Red Sox, whose offseason free agent targets I previewed yesterday, the Braves are one of the best teams in baseball without too many weaknesses on their current roster. The difference is that the Sox have several key players headed for free agency while the Braves have just one—catcher Brian McCann. And they could choose to replace him internally. 

With the MLB playoff picture finally taking shape in the last week of the regular season, three teams are getting hot at just the right time. The Oakland Athletics have won their past five games, and have locked up the AL West. The Tampa Bay Rays are fresh off a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, and the Cincinnati Reds have won seven of their past nine games.  

OK, who peed in the pool?

The screams that emanate from public pools throughout the summer now surround the lamest controversy to ever saddle MLB.

Experience might be all the talk of sports shows as we prepare to enter the 2013 Major League Baseball postseason, but anyone watching games this year knows that the rookies can have just as much of an impact. 

Talent trumps all in October. Anyone who talks about experience needs to look around the sport right now, because everything is skewing younger. That makes the game more exciting since we are able to get a lot of new blood on a national stage. 

Baseball season is fast approaching its 162nd game and regular season conclusion. For the second year, though, four teams will be playing game 163. Since being implemented last season, much has been said about the incongruity of a one-game playoff after a 162-game marathon, and the debate will likely continue as long as it exists. For now, though, 90-plus wins may only be good for one extra game.

As one would hope and expect for a team with a $241 million payroll this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are well positioned going forward.